T.J. Maxx, MC Sports confirm plans in Onalaska

0 Comments | La Crosse Tribune, Sep 02, 2004 | by Cahalan, Steve

T.J. Maxx and MC Sports will open in late fall in part of the former Cub Foods building on Hwy. 16 in Onalaska.

Spokespeople for both retailers confirmed Wednesday that their companies have signed leases for stores that will open this fall. They are the first tenants to publicly confirm they have signed leases.

"At this time, it is slated to open in late fall," said Renee Katziff, a spokeswoman at T.J. Maxx headquarters in Framingham, Mass. The T.J. Maxx apparel chain has more than 750 stores in 48 states, she said.

Katziff said T.J. Maxx is an off-price" retailer, meaning it sells brand-name merchandise at lower prices than other stores do.

She said a typical T.J. Maxx store has 75 employees, but that she did not have details on the size of the planned Onalaska store.

"That's a mix of full- and part-time" employees," Katziff said.

"We hope to be open in early to mid-November," said Ed Rix, spokesman for MC Sports in Grand Rapids, Mich. The sporting goods retailer has nearly 70 stores in seven states in the Upper Midwest, he said.

The Onalaska sporting goods store will have 20 to 35 fulland part-time employees, depending on the time of year, Rix said.

"We're one of the major retailers for ski and snowboard equipment and outerwear in the Midwest, and that is one of our specialties," he said.

Equipment, footwear and apparel for team sports such as football, baseball, softball and soccer also are "real strengths" for the company, he said.

In late July, Onalaska Mayor Jim Bialecki said T.J. Maxx, Barnes & Nobles Booksellers, Old Navy, MC Sports and PETsMART are likely tenants for the former Cub Foods store, which closed April 26.